


No Can Do, Beck

by NanixErka



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, EDITH - Freeform, Friday is best ai, Gen, Irondad, NOT STARKER - Freeform, Nick Fury (Mentioned) - Freeform, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Spider-Man: Far From Home Compliant, Pepper Potts (mentioned) - Freeform, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Shout out to Karen, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, spiderson, starkers fuck off
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-24 02:03:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21330445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NanixErka/pseuds/NanixErka
Summary: Tony is alive, kicking andpissed the hell offOr "Quentin Beck really thought he'd get away with this shit? Nah fam"
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 13
Kudos: 644





	No Can Do, Beck

**Author's Note:**

> The Tony Stark version of that other Far From Home AU i have with Pepper. whoop. Enjoy the shorter self indulgence.

At Fury’s insistence, Tony had tried. 

_God_, he really, really tried. He even told Pepper to tell him to stay away- and Pepper was one of maybe 3 people that could force him to to _anything_

But the moment the whole situation took a sharp left turn, and it seemed that Fury was willing to let Peter fight hundreds of drones by himself - _after_ the boy was hit by a train? Yeah, that’s solid “fuck you” to Nick

Even Pepper, who had been telling him that Peter could handle this, who had promised she’d convince him not to get involved for the sake of their overarching plan, was starting to threaten putting on the Rescue suit - and she did not like putting on the Rescue suit. No one liked when Pepper had to put on the Rescue suit - because that meant shit had seriously gone south. 

But he got into the Iron Man armor first, and was en route to England at a speed no aircraft could plausibly match. Some Mac -number-or-other that left the world below him nothing more than a green blur before the Atlantic ocean crashed beneath him. 

“Friday, ETA” 

“29 minutes” The AI responded

“Faster, Fry” 

“Yes, sir. And i was told to remind you that you cannot speak when you arrive. The cover is that you are -” 

“A sentry sent to assist Peter under the LEGACY Protocol” He grumbled, annoyed that he hadn't bothered to try to integrate the LEGACY protocol into EDITH. Quite honestly, he didn’t think he’d need it. But watching Peter struggle and give up the glasses had been hard to watch - it had been the complete wrong call on his part - he should have integrated it. 

You’d think an overly-paranoid man such as himself would have thought that through a little further. 

But hey, he’s only human…. Mostly. 

He bought his focus back to the matter at hand as London came into sight

“Okay, gimmie the 411, Fri. What’s Peter doing?” 

“He just managed to destroy the illusion, and is currently trying to get to Beck, who is stationed in the walkway above the London Tower Bridge” The AI explained, “We are within EDITH’s range. Do you want me to override?” 

“Wait for it dear, I want to make a spectacle. ETA?”

“10 minutes” 

“How’s Pete doing?” He asked

“Karen is still in silent mode, but is reporting bruises and contusions, nothing fatal or severely damaging. Overall his state is similar to that of the battle in April 2023”

That didn’t make Tony feel any better, but he’d take what he could get 

“Let me know if anything even semi-critical occurs”

“So, the “Serious Boo-Boo” protocol?” 

“Hah! Forgot about that one, yeah” 

“On it, sir. Sensors are active. ETA 9 minutes” 

Tony huffed a bit as he flew through the air. He hadn’t even touched his suit since the battle at the compound - when he last saw Peter apologizing and sobbing in front of what was nearly his corpse. Tony had wished he’d had something to say to Peter, wished he’d had the energy to turn his head, to face him, to tell him he’d be okay

Instead, Peter believed he’d died. 

And even when he’d woken up, a month later and lacking an arm, he’d demanded to see Peter. 

And Fury denied him. 

And Tony nearly threw an absolute shit fit.

If not for Morgan being just one room away, napping and happy her daddy was finally awake, Tony would have. God, he would have. Fury would never have wanted to be in the man’s general vicinity for the rest of his natural existence. 

But he understood where Fury was coming from. Tony being dead meant that the bastards would start to come out of the woodwork. Fury said it would be a cleansing, of sorts. And that once those bad apples were finally disposed of, he could come back however he wanted - whether it be a spectacle or just to those he wanted to actually see. 

But getting Peter involved…. Even though Peter was a capable hero in his own right, it rubbed Tony the wrong way. And the bad feelings kept getting worse every time he saw video from the Baby Monitor Protocol showing Peter’s increasing frustration. 

At least he’d designed the stealth suit for the boy. (When Peter had joked that it was “a little tight around the ol’ webshooter” the poor man nearly busted his gut laughing. Pepper had looked aghast at the not super PG innuendo from the teen) 

But all worry turned into fear and anger when Friday alerted him to severe injury, and he attempted to look further into it. It took some fenagling - and hacking into German security camera footage... And he saw the train. 

He didn’t even bother calling Fury. There was really no point in doing so. No matter what Fury said, he was going to get his kid

(Thank god for Happy though. He and May were getting a paid vacation to Aruba for like, 2 weeks, minimum. And a raise.) 

And so, he left. But not before telling Morgan that he’d be helping Peter out - cause he was in trouble- in secret, and the little girl squealed “Like how i’s a secret Petey is Spider-man?” 

“Exactly, Morgoona” He nodded almost solemnly. Morgan just nodded back

“When can Pete visit?” She asked, and Tony took in a breath. “I on’y see ‘em when Mommy an’ me go to New York. An’ you can’never come” His daughter pouted “I wan’ Petey heeere” 

“... Soon, princess. Soon” he assured “Mommy and you gotta hold down the fort by yourselves. I”ll be back before you know it” 

Morgan just nodded again and reached over, kissing her fathers cheek “See ya, Daddy” 

And he’d set off. 

“ETA 3 minutes boss. Peter has managed his way up to the tower bridge according to the GPS.” 

“That’s my boy” He said, without a hint of a joke. God, Peter was so fucking smart. “How?” 

“Sensors indicate that his web shooters are empty, and there are no cameras I can access to inform me as to how he got up to the walkway. Since Karen is still silent I cannot access her either without reactivating her voice protocols”

Tony huffed “Great. Something I’m gonna have to wait to hear back about.”

“Once this ordeal is over, I will see if the Baby Monitor caught anything” 

“You’re my angel, Fri” 

As he got to the bridge, he saw Peter, face to face with the man who had put him through hell. 

And then a shot rang through the air

And Peter was staring into the eyes of the real Quentin Beck, hand twisted up, gun falling out of the madman’s hand. 

Tony saw red

“Okay Fri, let’s make a scene” 

“Overriding EDITH, speakers acquired. Anything need to be said?” 

“Eh, just read out the LEGACY protocol” 

There was a pause, before all of the drones froze in place. As Peter and Beck turned their heads at the sudden silence, EDITH’s voice rung out

“LEGACY PROTOCOL INITIATED” 

“....What?” 

Tony didn’t give Beck much more than a breath before the repulsor fired and he was tossed back like a ragdoll. 

Peter meanwhile, couldn’t believe what he was seeing. 

“LEGACY PROTOCOL FORBIDS HARM TO COME TO PRIORITY ACCESS INDIVIDUALS. ACTIVATED BY AI PROTOCOL KAREN” Friday announced - flattening her tone and coming out as functionally robotic as possible. Tony swore she was just having fun with playing the role of the auto voice. She’d grown so much as an AI in the last 5 years. 

“VOICE MESSAGE RECORDING INITIATED” 

And there was his moment- surprising him, as most things did. He silently thanked FRIDAY for the chance to talk before his improv began

“Hi, so, if you’re hearing this, you’ve activated the LEGACY protocol and you will be pretty damn lucky if this suit doesn’t kill you.” he started. 

“This is Spider-mans alert, so you really, really must have one hell of a death wish. Going after my” <s>kid</s> “protege like that” 

He took a threatening step forward 

“For your information, the LEGACY protocol is meant to protect all of the people closest to me from my own, dumb mistakes. Like my tech. The fact that you managed to use the glasses against him” he raised his hand- Beck was still staring like a gaping fish, as if his brain was still processing. “Is a mistake that will happen _exactly_ once” 

The repulsor didn’t give the man an inch before it fired. 

Tony wanted to look at Peter, to see him grin, to just say “great job” or “I'm proud of you” or pull him into a hug and never let Fury put his dirty hands on him again. 

But he had to at least pretend that he wasn’t there. For now. For Peter’s safety. 

So, with everything in him saying to do otherwise, he turned away, his back to Peter. 

“Threat Neutralized” FRIDAY announced. “Voice Message initiating…” 

Tony took in a breath, before speaking “If this is playing, then you’re safe, or, more accurately as safe as you can be, given your track record.” 

He could hear a puff of laughter come from Peter. 

“Next on your docket should be to get somewhere _safer_, take care of yourself, and go home.” He listed “Depending on where you are, of course…” He struggled to end this. He didn’t want to leave Pete on a bad note, or on a cliffhanger. 

“.. I hope you know i’m proud of you, LEGACY will keep an eye on you. Stay sharp, kid” 

There was no response… He supposed that was too much to ask. He stepped toward the window, ready to take off and get an earful from Pepper for his ridiculous stunt- 

“F-Friday, Wait!” 

“Turn around, boss” 

The man turned his head 

And he finally got a good look at Spider-Man... 

Peter looked like a wreck. 

His mask off, Tony could see his wide, but exhausted, red eyes. Blood caked the side of his face, a separate wound going from his nose to his lip, his hair coated in grey dust. His suit was ripped to pieces, burned off in places and… darker? Was this the new suit? He knew he’d had to make one on the plane, but why is it so… black? Tony’s eyes were drawn to the boys hands, clenched in nervous fists before looking back up at his eyes 

“.... Friday uh… can I..” he seemed to figure something out, and reached down to the ground, where those damned glasses had fallen off that good for nothing Beck’s face. He put them on “E-EDITH…. Is Friday really here?” 

Before EDITH could even respond, FRIDAY took over the UI

“Yes, Peter. We are here” 

Peter shivered, taking off the glasses “Okay, okay good…. Uh, can… can you take the glasses? Please?”

_No, Peter, they’re yours. You got ‘em a little early but they’re yours Tony wanted FRIDAY to say, but instead_

“Take the glasses, boss. I think he knows he’s not ready for ‘em jus’ yet” 

Man, Friday’s talks with Pepper have really upped her emotional intelligence. He reached out and grabbed them, but once the hand was out and the glasses where taken, the young hero collided with the armor, enveloping it in a tight hug. 

Tony nearly cried. 

There was a moment where he didn’t move. He wanted to - god he wanted to- but he wasn’t supposed to _be_ there - in any sense. 

“You know…” Peter started, his voice wet and trembling “... You call _me_ a bad liar” 

…. What? 

“.. But… how could a protocol recording know.. that Beck had used the glasses?” 

Oh. Shit. 

Tony sighed in defeat, his heart still racing. Of course Peter would pick up on it. 

Before he could say something, or even just _hug his kid back_, Peter let go and backed up “... I’ll be there next week” 

And then Peter smiled, tears glistening in his exhausted eyes, before turning around towards the window “.. See you soon, Mister Stark” 

And he was gone. 

“.... Well, that backfired” Friday voiced. 

“... You bet it did” Tony finally let out a laugh “God, you’d think I’d remember how smart he is.” 

“You become forgetful in your old age, boss” 

“Come again?” 

“Nothing, Boss. You’re as sharp as ever” 

“Damn straight. Now, where’s Fury?” 

“In a building nearby. Need coordinates?” She answered as he finally took off from the bridge. 

“Yes please, dear. He’s about to get a hell of an earful. Might as well get all this outta my system so I can get adequately chewed out by Pepper later” 


End file.
